


Everyone Deserves to be Happy

by Brien_James



Series: Everyone Deserves [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dudley redeemed, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-04
Updated: 2012-06-07
Packaged: 2017-11-04 20:21:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/397848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brien_James/pseuds/Brien_James
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville Longbottom has been set up on a date by his friend, Harry Potter. The other party used to be a bully every bit as distasteful as Draco Malfoy, but now he's reformed and looking for love, and love is the goal. So Neville is going to meet a reformed bully. He asks himself doesn't everyone deserve a chance? Doesn't everyone deserve to be happy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Each section of this story is told from the point of view of a specific character, even if it reads as somewhat third person it isn't an external viewpoint. So don't get confused when a section break or new chapter appears.

**Disclaimer** : I do not own the world of Harry Potter, nor any of the characters or global concepts herein. My name is not J.K. Rowling, and this is not meant as a threat to her ownership of Harry Potter.

 **Reader Beware** : Homosexual Relationship, Open Relationship, "British" Dialogue with American Spelling.

 **Time** : roughly 5 years after the end of the Deathly Hallows.  
 **Place** : the entry hallway of a flat in London, England.

 

* * *

"So, how long has Harry known?" the large, stocky, blond man with the close cropped hair asked. He was holding a letter in his hands, the letter Harry had in fact owled to him giving a date, time and location for this meeting.

"Oh, for about 3 months now," he replied. It wasn't exactly comfortable for Neville to talk about this yet with someone he barely knew. Well, to be fair, he knew enough about him to not be a stranger, but they weren't even proper acquaintances yet. And he certainly didn't want to talk about it in the entry hallway of a flat he'd just entered either.

"And your wife? What's she think about you being attracted to blokes?" he heard as they shuffled down the hall.

Neville closed his eyes, fighting back the tide of guilt that rose every time he thought about how awful he had felt telling Hannah that she wasn't enough for him because she wasn't a man. "At first she was shocked, because I had plenty of time to try things out with boys back at school but I hadn't done anything like that with anybody."

His golden brown eyes lifted to meet the blue orbs of his host, "She decided that she'd rather I be happy all around even if it meant a break between us in the future."

"So you're still married, and you still love her as your closest mate, but you aren't turned on?" the other man asked. He went over to sit in a chair and leaned back. Neville followed him in and stood in the doorway of the room. "I'm just not convinced how well things can go for us," he said after a pause. Neville must have resembled the feeling of melancholic disappointment that came over him, as he heard, "No, I don't mean it like that!"

He looked up and saw red in the cheeks of the other male, his passively neutral expression gone. "Oh, you mean about the sharing part," Neville stated with realization. He walked further inside and sat on the sofa opposite the recliner as the other man pointed to it.

"I've just come out last week haven't I? I've not been snogging blokes behind clubs or getting it off behind glory holes. The fact that I'm being set up on a date by my cousin, who I don't have a great relationship with, should show that I'm not all that comfortable with myself," he said, rambling on.

With an embarrassed look Neville was asked, "Would you like a cup of tea?" He shook his head in the affirmative, and the other man stood and headed into the kitchen. Neville heard a kettle being filled and placed on a burner in the kitchen, and he called into the kitchen during a lull in the sound, "When did you know girls weren't doing it for you?"

"I used to run with a thick crowd of bullies in school and I was the ringleader. I was expected to be a huge womanizing tosser, like half of them were or wanted to be, so I tried. I played tough and big and got a few birds to go with me right before your war, but I never felt connected to 'em and I always had a hard time doing more than pawing their chests and fannies. If I thought about their bum, it helped. Took me more than 3 years after moving out to figure out why. By then I had become a real member of society instead of a waste of space, so I tried writing Harry. Never expected him to play matchmaker, just help me figure myself out."

"I can see some of the parallels, but he had an entire school to help him figure out what made him different from muggle children. He embraced himself before he got on the Hogwarts Express. I didn't remember seeing fear or lack of confidence when I met him. Do you have any mates that know anybody like... like us?" Neville asked.

The other man came out and sat down. He shook his head and wore a sad expression. "Not that I know about. That's part of what makes a gay club so scary. I have to walk in alone and if I saw anybody who I knew, they'd know I was gay. Even if they were just there for their mate's party or to go out, they'd know I was bent because I was there alone," he said softly, unconsciously shuffling his feet and worrying the letter in his hands.

"So, you're pretty much in the same boat as me then," Neville said. "The only person I liked at all that I know who's out and out gay graduated years ahead of me. He's a Hufflepuff so we never did much together," he concluded.

"A what?" he asked.

"A Hufflepuff... oh I forgot, you know a bit about Harry and wizards but you don't know anything about Hogwarts. It's a house in the school, like um... a society or a dormitory group or...." Neville rapidly spat out, trying to explain.

"Oh, I get it. So he didn't room with your lot and that's why you never got on well?" Neville stopped yammering and nodded in reply.

"After he showed up to see me, he asked if I had done anything with anybody and I had to live down the embarrassment of saying no to that. That was when Harry told me he had a friend who could use a 'companion', but what is it you want?" he asked.

Neville smiled and said, "I want to enjoy sharing myself and being myself. Isn't that what you want?" 

The other man shook his head, putting a negative response together, "Well of course, but I'm nearing 30. I don't want to just be a regular shag. I'm not afraid to be seen with you, even though I was terrified of going out to gay clubs and experimenting on my own, but I'm still not too comfortable with your magic world, and I don't know if I could ever be with a woman just to be with you," he said.

"Dudley, nobody is asking you to ever get married to my wife, and frankly she is being open about this but doesn't want to watch me naked with anybody else either," Neville replied. That brought out another stretch of silence, which Dudley finally broke with another question.

"So, do you even like tall, stocky blokes with wide shoulders and what not?" the other man asked. Dudley looked away slightly, but maintained just enough eye contact to see a reaction. Neville found it endearing that someone who had a rough physical past could be so vulnerable in such a situation as looking for love.

"I've always been attracted most to what was inside someone, but yeah. I was a short, hefty kid, and I turned out tall and skinny in the end. Having someone large enough to make me feel protected in a nice cuddle has always been part of my tame fantasies," he admitted.

Dudley smirked at that, adopted a naughty look and asked, "So what about your not so tame fantasies? I only ask cause I think you're gorgeous. I also like that you're not skinny like a twig, you've got some solidness and you're intelligent. I've always envied smart blokes but now I see it's cause it's a turn on, not just jealousy."

"I think you'll find I'm aggressively inclined in bed. Not to the point of sadomasochism but I'm a bit controlling no matter which position I'm in," he said. Dudley looked relieved at that revelation, but Neville couldn't read what the reasons why might be.

"So you want to go through with this? Going out with a man who's never had sex that counted, and who may fall hopelessly in love with you?" the other man asked.

Neville nodded, "Hannah and I are both prepared for that eventuality, and Wizarding law doesn't frown on acknowledged concubines in the least. Since it's a homosexual relationship there may be some gossip, but we can't generate any children, so society will eventually be quiet about it too."

Dudley swallowed and nodded, "So do you want to go on a proper date or make out first or what?"

Neville leaned forward and said, "I don't see why we can't do a little bit of both." he stood up and walked over to Dudley, offering his hands to the larger man. Dudley placed his hands in Neville's and let himself be pulled up out of the recliner. Neville then drew him in, placed his arms around his thick waist, and gently squeezed him as he planted a lengthy kiss on Dudley's surprised face.

 

* * *

 

The kiss was unexpected but so warm and it felt so right after years of kissing women to no great shakes. Dudley let himself slip into the allure of Neville's passionate embrace and kissed him back affectionately. The other man's hands began to roam and it was all too soon when they parted.

Dudley felt his cheeks were warm and he peered back into the light brown eyes that were only an inch below head height to him. He had never thought about it but the short but curly locks of light brown hair that parted neatly in the middle framed a cute angular face. He hadn't expected to meet someone this much like his fantasies when Harry said he had just the friend to introduce him to. Neville was everything Dudley wished he was: fit, smart, well-adjusted and confident in himself. He couldn't think of a better man to be his first everything in his search of self-discovery.

"So, where do you want to go to dinner? Diagon Alley or some place near here?" Neville asked him.

"Um... does all wizard food do weird stuff? Harry told me about living chocolate, and my tongue got blown up this one time...," Dudley trailed off, shuddering at that memory.

Neville shook his head vehemently, "Oh no. The candy is enchanted to be entertaining, it isn't really alive. And I heard about what the Weasley Twins did. I'm sorry that happened to you. Even if they thought you deserved to be pranked, that was completely inappropriate on a non-wizard. Even a squib would have been running around looking ridiculous trying to find a healer and they at least would have known where to go to get it taken care of."

Dudley just nodded and said, "Then this Diagonally place sounds fine."

Neville started to say, "It's two wor... never mind. Let's just go there. You can see for yourself." Dudley followed Neville out of his home and they got on a bus that would take them halfway across London. They walked up to a rundown shop facade and Dudley was surprised that the sign grew less dingy and actually had a picture on it when he was close enough to touch the walls.

"Whoa, Neville, what's that? It looks different now," he said.

The other man nodded and said, "This is the Leaky Cauldron, a wizard's pub. It's also the entrance to the Alley. We can always stay here and eat dinner if you prefer, or we can go on and find a full restaurant." Neville opened the door and held it for Dudley, who walked inside, not expecting a full establishment from the outside view, but seeing the groups of people scattered about the pub's interior and the welcoming lighting, that was not visible through the windows outside at all, he stumbled inside with a bit of trepidation.

"Oi, super-auror! What are you doing letting all the nice warm air out into the streets!" they heard and Dudley bustled inside quickly, to be followed by Neville and the door closing tightly. Several of the patrons looked over and raised their glasses to Neville who weakly waved back. He started and turned to Dudley as if he had just remembered something.

"So have you made up your mind? If we're eating here we should grab some seats and not stand about so much," Neville said.

Dudley blushed slightly, another new expression for him, and said, "Here is fine. It's not what I'm used to but it's probably closer than anything else." He looked around and saw a table near the window along the far wall. "Let's take this one!" he said, perhaps too excitedly in his effort to fit in, and began walking to the back. He felt Neville following him and they were in their seats before long, with Dudley looking out the window at all the people who walked past without paying any attention whatsoever to the pub or it's occupants.

"You get used to muggles..., erm people, being unable to see places like this after a while, well you will if you and I hit it off and we keep going to places like this," he said.

"So, this is Harry's cousin then?" he heard, and with a look back from the window he rested his eyes on a polite looking blonde woman.

"Dudley, this is Hannah. Hannah, Dudley Dursley," Neville said, making proper introductions. She smiled at him, but looked him up and down the same.

"Well, shall I get you two a round of butterbeers or would you like something stronger, Dudley?" she asked.

"Um... yeah a lager or whatever is fine," he was nervous but he couldn't quite place the reason for it.

"Coming right up," she replied and walked away. He thought he heard her lean in to Neville and stage whisper, "So that's your type? Reformed bad boy. I'd never have guessed." Then Neville blushed and she walked away. Suddenly after hearing that exchange, rolling the words around in his head and remembering something all at once he got an epiphany.

"That's your Hannah!" he said, leaning forward and loudly whispering the statement at Neville.

"Yes, I just introduced you to my wife. Sorry we didn't make a big to do out of it. I was sure you'd make the connection when introductions were over. Especially with how she was sizing you up," he said.

"Your wife works here in this pub?" Dudley asked, incredulously at the coincidental nature of this meeting.

Neville's brow furrowed and he admitted, "She runs the pub. We live upstairs. I didn't want to taint your choice, so I didn't mention it before. If you're uncomfortable we can eat elsewhere after a nice round or two here, but I will admit she wanted to meet you beyond the whole going out with her husband thing."

Dudley couldn't believe the significance of everything Neville was saying, "Why?"

"Well, to be honest, practically all of Harry's close friends know what his home life was like growing up, so just saying the name Dursley around most of us has this mixed up sense of regret, anger and curiosity. However, while you've had a bad reputation, most of us want to form our own opinion of you since you were a child in most of it. If we can think better of Malfoy... well that's not even on topic. In any case, Harry is somewhat ridiculously famous and you being family makes you a minor celebrity, whether famous or infamous," Neville explained at length. Hannah came back and dropped the tankards off on the table near the end and just stood by.

"Why would anybody want to meet someone so rotten? I mean I know what happened and I'm still making up for it every day," he inquired.

Hannah piped in, "The fact that you just said that would be enough reason, as people do change. When Neville first came to Hogwarts he was a timid student who bumbled through half his lessons and was picked on mercilessly by the bullies there. He graduated top of class in Herbology however after leading Dumbledore's Army and helping Harry win the Second Wizarding War."

"War hero?" Dudley asked when she had finished, and looked back at Neville. From his brief interaction he had no way to imagine that the calm, confident man who sat across from him was ever the student she described. "Your wife is pulling me leg, isn't she Neville? You're so much more sure of yourself than anybody I've ever met!"

His companion only shook his head and replied, after taking a sip from his tankard, "No, it's all true. If I'm confident now, it's because of my life experiences up until now."

"Now, with introductions and pleasantries out of the way, I've a bone to pick with you, Dudley Dursley!" Hannah said. His attention spun right round to the blonde woman and he stared, shocked at her face. "I'm only going to say this once. You treat Neville like you ought to, or I'll box your ears properly and you'll wish I meant in the muggle way."

The color leached out of Dudley's face and Neville spoke up, "Hannah! Stop threatening him. You're my wife and best friend, not my parent!"

She smiled and said, "Alright. I won't hex him if he breaks your heart, but that doesn't mean I'll let you damage my husband." She stalked away, with a laugh on her lips, and Neville looked embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry, I've had a couple of flings here and there with men under anonymity glamours just to test the waters if you will, but I never opened myself to any of them. Hannah is afraid I'll fall for you and you'll rip out my heart and that'll be that," Neville explained again.

Dudley sighed and then relaxed and smiled, "I think I get it. You're out on a date with a former bully and she doesn't want you to get hurt." Dudley took a sip of his tankard and smiled wistfully, "You're not just some slag to me, Neville. If I hurt your heart, it'll be due to a proper breakup. I'm not out to get in your pants and throw you away." The taste was a bit strange but satisfying so he began to drink normally.

Neville smiled and said, "I think that's all anyone can ask for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who've read It Really is Stronger, you can consider the background rules at work in the world to be the same between these stories, but they are separate timelines/worlds/etc. This one has divergences that begin in the gap between the last chapter of Deathly Hallows and its Epilogue, but it doesn't break anything the epilogue has stated. This series is going to be a bit of a ride, as I've written two other stories that fit themselves inside the last chapter of this story and the epilogue of same. If the plotbunny hits me again, I'll write more. However, right now it's 3 stories and that's it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** : I do not own the world of Harry Potter, nor any of the characters or global concepts herein. My name is not J.K. Rowling, and this is not meant as a threat to her ownership of Harry Potter.

 

 **Reader Beware** : Homosexual Relationship, Open Relationship, "British" Dialogue with American Spelling.

 

* * *

 

Their first date had been to the pub underneath his home, 'real smooth once again, Neville' and their second had been to a musical in Muggle London. Dudley had mentioned something about nobody thinking he'd like to go there, but there was this puppet show he wanted to see. All in all this 'Avenue Q' thing was catchy and charming, but it didn't distract him from spending more time staring longingly at Dudley than in absorbing the performance. Still, the songs that persuaded the gay character to come out of the closet caused Dudley to fumble about until their hands were linked together. So Neville was thankful for that.

Now it was time for their third date, and Dudley had suggested they go to a football match. Neville wasn't sure if he was serious or not, but he was no judge of things so he let Dudley drag him along to this activity as well. They had headed for the concourse to get food while waiting for the game to start, and Neville had to admit, despite the thick press of people, the smell of fried food put him in the mood for a good day.

"So, what'll you be having? I can't recommend the Scottish Cheeseburger, it'll kill you since you eat healthy most days, but there's nothing wrong with fish 'n' chips or a hot dog. They've even got pizza or balti pie if you're feeling foreign," he said, excited to be showing Neville around something that was new to him.

"Well, I do feel quite foreign. We serve fish and chips and a selection of meat pies at the Leaky, but what in Merlin's name is a hot dog or a pizza?" he asked. Dudley's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. He turned to the concessions stand clerk, made a whirlwind order and when he came back he was laden down with an armload of food, "Let's go over to that standing table and I'll teach you what each is."

Neville followed, without trying to help too much for fear of causing Dudley to drop things and they made it to the tall table and Dudley carefully deposited everything. Neville couldn't figure out what was what from the smells on offer, some of which were overpowering the other aromas, so he just waited for Dudley to explain. Dudley showed him a takeaway plate of fish and chips with a puddle of unfamiliar brown sauce in the corner, a rectangular piece of bread with melted cheese on top with what looked like vegetables and meat chunks melted into it, and two pairs of sausages in bread rolls covered in sauces. He pointed to the triangular bread, "This is pizza with the works. I got that just for you to try, if you don't like it there's no worries." He then pointed to the sausage rolls and said, "These are hot dogs. They're American food originally. I uh didn't know if you'd love 'em like I do. I just got enough that we could share. The fish 'n' chips are just in case you don't like anything else, since you said you were familiar."

"Oh, well I guess I better give some of this a try. Wouldn't want to have you carrying everything," he said, and he looked around for utensils and had Dudley smirk as he pantomimed eating them with his hands. Neville felt his cheeks grow warm at that, damn those incompetent Muggle Studies professors. He carefully picked up the slice of pizza and took a bite out of the small end. He wasn't sure but he felt there was a spicy tomato sauce underneath everything in the cheese layer and the interplay of the meat and vegetable ingredients caught him by surprise. He stared over at Dudley with a look of astonishment and Dudley told him, "It's a popular takeaway food. It's originally Italian, or American. I don't know who invented pizza, but it belongs to the world now."

Neville put down the pizza, determined to finish that lovely combination of bread and cheese later on, and picked up one of the hot dogs layered with ketchup and mustard. He was familiar with these two sauces, and more enamored of ketchup, but had never thought to combine them on anything before. The bread and meat combination here was good too, but it really was the sauce that made the meal worthwhile. He smiled at Dudley and said, "I like them both. Are we going to miss the start of the match?"

Dudley sniffed, "Not if I can help it." Dudley looked intently at his mouth and then his blue eyes flickered up to make contact, and he said, "Uh, you've got some mustard on your face." He looked briefly away, picked up a napkin and turned to Neville and daubed at the corner of his mouth. It was the most sensual thing that they'd done together in public, and his own cheeks burned as Dudley's began to turn a rosy hue.

They turned away from each other, facing the table, and began to gather up their food in silence. Neville then smirked and turned, with his hot dog still in his hand and offered Dudley a bite. Dudley smirked back and after a moment of hesitation, his eyes fluttering everywhere over Neville's face but making repeated eye contact, he leaned forward and bit down on the sausage roll with a smile. Dudley looked down at his food and set down the fish and chips to grab one of the other hot dogs and turned to feed a bite to Neville, who bit into it eagerly while looking Dudley in the eyes.

"Poufs and bloody PDA," they both heard from behind them, then, "Well the large one's a chubby cheeks, it's probably part of foreplay for him," and "Get a room!" Both of them were startlingly embarrassed, and scooping up their plates practically ran for the stadium seats on their tickets. As far as dates go, Neville couldn't think of anything more memorable than sharing food and being chided about it in public. He felt like he wouldn't even trade the opportunity to not have been shamed in public for this memory in future years. It was something he and Dudley had shared without fear of consequence.

The game had been rather exciting as well, not as fast paced as quidditch, but definitely something to pay attention to instead of looking at Dudley's cheeks as he cheered his team on, usually by popping out of his chair and hollering like a madman. That part was just like quidditch as well. When his team won the game in the second half Dudley leaped up and down, dragged Neville out of his chair and gave him a crushingly tender bear hug. It made him feel excellent, and he felt that he had indeed fallen for Harry's cousin.

On their way to the pub with the rest of the fans Neville leaned in close and said, "I thought you were gonna give me the most earth-shatteringly passionate kiss when they scored that final goal. I loved the hug I got though. It was wonderful."

The large man smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "After those other fans got on us for feeding one another, I didn't think I could get away with that much PDA."

"What is PDA?" Neville asked, innocently. Sometimes Dudley forgot that Neville had been brought up in what, for all intents and purposes, was another world, and had been sheltered for far too long even in that one. Dudley swallowed his incredulity one more time and turning away from him and said, "It's kissing and holding hands and stuff. Um... public display of affection. P D A."

"Oh, that makes a little sense when you sound it all out. So I take it since nobody here can make privacy, they get mad whenever anybody does something affectionate in public?" he asked, it seemed like an innocent question to him again, but he could tell this time he touched off something.

"No, straights do it all the bloody time and rub your nose in it. Only family and friends will tell a bender that and not mean 'stop being disgusting.' But you'll see people nearly getting off with each other on the street, if they're not a bender or a lesbo that is," Dudley said, and by the time he was done his mood had darkened.

"Ah. So I guess those people were really angry at us because they don't like homosexuals," he said.

"Nah, Nev. I'm not sure exactly what they were on about. One of them made a fat joke at my expense, so I'm pretty certain that one was being deliberate arsehole-like, but I think some of 'em were jokin'," he said.

Neville stopped in his tracks, causing Dudley to pause as well. "What's wrong?" he asked. This caused him to shake his head and smile widely, "You called me 'Nev.' It's a nickname Harry calls me."

Dudley seemed to withdraw slightly, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know."

Neville leaned in and said, "No, I like it. I like it a lot, actually."

Dudley's cheeks became rosy and he reached for Neville's hand. He made for an alleyway and dragged Neville inside. He didn't let go until they were halfway down and leaning back against the wall he looked Neville directly in the eyes. Neville decided that doing something about onlookers would be more appropriate than getting heckled twice in the same day. He withdrew his wand and said a pair of quick spells under his breath, the alleyway began to fog up and the sound around them took on a muted quality.

"What did you do?" Dudley asked, more curiosity than fear in his eyes.

Neville pocketed his wand and said, "Obscured the alley and made it so nobody can hear us. Basic privacy stuff." Then he leaned forward grinning, and placed his arms round Dudley's shoulders pressing him back into the wall. The fog intensified to a thickness that outside of a few yards radius away from them it was impossible to see who was making out in the alley. Neville attacked his date with abandon then, kissing him fiercely. Neville found it a point of pride that his questing tongue had no trouble getting Dudley to open his mouth so that his tongue could play alongside Dudley's own, or later when fondling the back of his ear he had caused him to moan out Neville's  name. It was excellent, and Neville and Dudley didn't stop until they were hopelessly aroused.

"My god, Nev. You about made me cum. I never knew tongues should go in ears before!" Dudley gasped out.

"Ears are a specialty of mine," he said, causing Dudley to snicker. "Shall we go back to your place? I don't think either of us could walk into a muggle pub as tousled as we look without attracting a wall of accusing stares."

Dudley nodded and said, "I want that very much." He paused for a moment, still catching his breath back up to normal rhythm against the wall, and asked, "Nev?"

"Yeah, Duds?" he asked, coming up with the endearing term on the spot. Dudley blinked for a moment and then his smile was back in full force, "I want you. I mean I want to feel you inside me. I've been thinking about it a lot and since you've done it both ways before, I want you to teach me about loving you."

"Alright, you can be my first student, Mr. Dursley," he said in his best imitation of Dumbledore's voice, filled with warmth but professionalism.

"Oh, I think I'll need plenty of lessons, Professor Longbottom," Dudley said getting into the spirit of things and clasping his hands firmly on Neville's rump.

Neville said, "Oh, we're in a good pickle. I want to get to that as soon as possible, but we're a good fifteen minutes walk from your place and if we apparate you may start to dislike me. It's not exactly a comfortable way to travel.

"This time, I think I can get used to the pain and stay horny. After all, it's over quick right? And it's not like you can bugger me without some discomfort right, and I still want you to. I want it so bad it's all I fantasize about when I'm alone in bed."

"Wow, I've been thinking the same thing about you lately. Of course, you know I'll expect you to take charge soon as well. All part of a proper student's education, you know," Neville said, readopting his teacher role as he drew his wand once more. "Hold on tightly now," he told Dudley, who leaped forward and wrapped him up in a bear hug and closed his eyes tight. And with a sound that only they could hear, they disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer** : I do not own the world of Harry Potter, nor any of the characters or global concepts herein. My name is not J.K. Rowling, and this is not meant as a threat to her ownership of Harry Potter.

 

 **Reader Beware** : Homosexual Relationship, Open Relationship, "British" Dialogue with American Spelling.

 

* * *

 

"So how are things coming along with Neville?" he asked. It wasn't usual for Dudley to eat lunch with his cousin, but he had been trying to form a bond with Harry since telling him his biggest secret. Here he was in a cafe, in the center of the city. Dudley knew the conversation of his love life would come up, so he had wanted to go somewhere besides the Leaky Cauldron. When he had specifically asked for a muggle restaurant, Harry seemed to relax and smiled.

"I think things are going okay. We've been out a bunch of times. I really like Neville. Even his missus is great," he replied. He thought about it for a few moments more and looked up to say, "Which is odd cause I feel like I'm stealing him away from her, and she doesn't deserve anything bad."

Harry nodded in agreement, "It's a complicated situation. Hannah has known Neville for a long time, and they've been together for a long while now too. If she's willing to let him go you aren't stealing him. Besides, if you two ever want kids, I'm sure she'd hear you out as to being your surrogate." Harry was different now, but the same at the same time. He hadn't seen him for the longest time, but when Harry walked up and asked Dudley for a cup of tea that fateful day two months ago, it had really shaken him how little the important things had seemed to change.

"What about you and your wife? You're expecting a second kid?" he asked. He could hardly believe Harry had gotten married a little over four years ago, and that he was a father and about to become one twice-over. Dudley felt self-conscious enough to look at his hands on that score, thinking about how his parents had been expecting him to have kids, although they didn't really care about seeing them or being grandparents.

"Dudley... Dudders, don't beat yourself up about it. There's plenty of time to fill the space between us. James is your cousin too, and I like to think that we can eventually get along well enough that my family can be your family too," he said. He never knew how Harry always seemed to know just what to say to get to him, even if what he was saying wasn't meant to make him angry.

"I don't know how to be a family, Harry," he nearly sobbed out. "I'm so sorry for everything I ever did to you. You were supposed to be like my brother, and I never did anything for you our entire lives," he said.

"Hey, let's not dwell on the past. It's not as if I didn't push your buttons plenty. I was almost as bad as Malfoy used to be. Oh that reference went right over your head. I'm sorry. I just mean I was acting that way because we never got on the right foot, and then suddenly I had all this responsibility and power," he said. Dudley felt like he knew a little bit about how it felt, the power part anyway.

Harry continued and said, "I knew that there was nothing your parents could do to me that I didn't allow them to do, but at the same time they never did anything I needed to protect myself from. It was frustrating. So I guess I was angry sometimes, or I took out my frustrations verbally on you." Dudley looked up at his cousin's face, and met the kind eyes he wished he had deserved to see back when they were children. He nodded and wiped his eyes with the corner of his napkin. "It's too late to become just like brothers, there's stuff between us that can be forgiven but not forgotten, but we can become what we are, family."

Dudley slumped his shoulders forward and nodded. "I'd like that. I know Neville is one of your co-workers and is one of your best mates. I want to be worthy of him bringing me round if it comes to that," he said.

With a curt nod and a smile, Harry turned back to his lunch. He picked up the sandwich and munched on another bite before asking, "So, have you decided when you're going to tell your parents?"

"Which bombshell are you talkin' bout? The fact that I'm gay or the fact that the man I'm seeing is magic?" he asked.

Harry furrowed his brow, "The fact that you want them to know the real you and you need them to grow up and accept it."

Dudley laughed, ran his fingers through his fringe and down the back of his head to calm himself and said, "Yeah, I can see that going over well. Mum, dad? I want you to meet my lover. Just let him pop on over through the fireplace."

"I'm serious, Dudders. Unless you're going to preemptively cut them out of your life, you need to tell them sometime. How's it going to look that you're in a serious relationship, and maybe even have kids in the future and didn't even bother to let them know?" he said.

Dudley shook his head, "I know, but mum will have a fit and pretend I didn't say a thing, and dad will start bellowing about how it's not normal and the Dursleys are the height of normal. It'll be a circus!"

"If you need me to be there... you know, as moral support, I'll go. I'll have your back when you decide to inform Vernon and Petunia," he said. Harry was looking earnestly at Dudley and they made eye contact and nodded again. Dudley took the time to look around the cafe while waiting on Harry to finish eating his meal. Dudley had been too nervous to eat anything heavy, so his plate of chips and the biscuits he had ordered as desert were long gone.

He scanned the cafe and his gaze fell to light on the young waiter who had efficiently taken their order and been serving them. He had managed to not hover, despite the fact that they were just about the only customers present at the time. It was oddly coincidental because the waiter's eyes were trained on their table, and he quickly looked away. Dudley couldn't believe it. Well, it wasn't like he had a right to be jealous. Everybody had always liked Harry.

"Don't look now, but I think the waiter is sweet on you. Guess he didn't see your ring," Dudley said.

"Dudders, he hasn't looked twice at me since we sat down. I keep a spell up pretty much all the time in public, especially for meetings like these where my guard would be down. It lets me know when people are staring at me and how intent they are on it. Consequence of my job. He's been no more attentive to me than any other curious person would be," Harry explained.

Dudley didn't get it, he glanced right and saw the waiter looking at the table again. "He's staring at the table right now. You don't feel that?" he asked. Harry shook his head and smirked, "Are you certain that it's me who he's sweet on?" That flustered Dudley and he looked out the window in the opposite direction and sat up straight trying to ignore the waiter. 'I've practically got a boyfriend. I can't be having it off with every guy who gives me the old once over,' Dudley told himself.

Harry chuckled and said, "When are you going to see yourself like I see you?"

Dudley clipped out, "Probably never."

"I mean it, Dudley. You have got to forgive yourself. You're an attractive man, with a decent build, even though your boxing days are behind you, and you've mentioned that you're gay at least four times since we sat down. His hearing may not be good enough to hear everything, but it seems you've piqued his interest regardless," Harry said before finishing the last bite of his meal.

At that moment the waiter appeared with their checks. "Thanks for eating here, boys. Don't hesitate to come again soon," he said and then gathered up the china and walked off.

Harry made to get up and was already checking his pocket for a fiver when Dudley asked, "Just one more question, Harry?" Harry stopped and nodded, meaning for Dudley to just go on. "Who is Malfoy? I've been told of him but not given any idea who he is." Harry just laughed and Dudley thought, 'Maybe I'm not meant to know'.

As Harry dropped the bank note on the table and headed for the door, Dudley looked down at his ticket and saw the familiar pattern of digits scrawled on the bottom of the paper. He sighed, and got up to go pay. He left a decent tip, and made it a point to go find the waiter as Harry waved at him from the doorway. 

"Look, mate, I'm flattered by your interest, but I have to let you know I'm seeing someone. It's... um... well..." he said, stammering into nothingness quickly enough.

"Say no more. It was worth a try. I almost couldn't believe my radar when I overheard you mention your sexuality to your friend," he said. It didn't take him long to finish processing the payment and leaned closer to confide in Dudley, "It's so hard for me to find a decent looking manly bear. All the good ones are taken," he said with a wink. Dudley nodded and walked away, looking back just once to smile and then pull back the door handle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer** : I do not own the world of Harry Potter, nor any of the characters or global concepts herein. My name is not J.K. Rowling, and this is not meant as a threat to her ownership of Harry Potter.

 

 **Reader Beware** : Homosexual Relationship, "British" Dialogue with American Spelling.

* * *

The pair of them were reclining on the sofa together, arm in arm watching a crime program on television. Dudley had thought it was hilarious that Neville, a wizard cop, had gotten hooked on a muggle crime drama. Especially since half of it was made up, and didn't reflect real police work.

Neville pulled away from him as the credits began to roll. "Duds, I think it's time we talk about us just a bit," Neville said. Dudley gulped but he hit the button on the clicker to turn off the telly and turned to face his lover.

"Dudley, I love you, and I want you to be my boyfriend," Neville said.

"Oh, Nev, isn't that what we've been the last month?" Dudley asked, a laugh on his lips. They had seen each other a minimum of once a week, and gone on date-like activities regularly, and they'd been on a steady schedule of sex since that night in the alley. Dudley had told him that he loved giving himself to Neville. He'd described it as a feeling so right to just let go of all his stress, macho image and stubborn rigidity when Neville wanted to connect to him in that most intimate of ways. Then he'd laughed and said it was the most intense thing he'd ever felt pleasurewise in his life.

Neville shook his head, "No, I mean that sincerely. We've been acting like a true couple yes, but it's time we discussed our future."

"I love you too, Nev. You know I do. I just feel guilty about pushing Hannah aside," he said. Neville read into this confirmation that the official title meant in some way that Neville's marriage was over. Dudley's face was somber and Neville hoped it wasn't due to more than the reason expressed.

"Don't feel that way. She has seen my love for you grow, and she's encouraged it. Just the other day she asked me, 'When are you going to ask him, Nev? He deserves to be happy. You deserve to be happy.' And that was when I realized that I have been happier than I ever have before. You being in my life is the change that made it," Neville said.

Dudley was quiet for long moments and gave him a sad smile before reaching over and embracing him. "I hope you don't regret this decision. You don't have to live here, but if you're going to be my official one and only, you'll need to speak to me daily," he said with a matter of fact tone.

"Duds, you know I want to do that anyway," he said.

"No, I mean it. Your job is dangerous, and I worry about you whenever you tell me you had a brush with death. I usually have a nightmare the next night of Harry or Hannah standing at the door, and handing me your bloody wand," he said. By the way Dudley was holding him, arms contracting even tighter so that he couldn't get away, Neville knew it was a true statement. He hadn't really thought about it, being an Auror was a natural extension of his talents after the war. However, there were a few more options. He had just received a notice that his favorite professor was about to go on an extended sabbatical, and that she might retire entirely if her temporary replacement served well.

"Well, despite the fact that I've inherited a bit, and aurors make good pay so the stacks of galleons kept increasing, there is a career path I had been meaning to take. It's much less dangerous," he said.

"Anything. I just want to know you're safe every day," Dudley told him.

Neville and Dudley parted, leaning back onto the sofa once more. Neville looked right and gave his boyfriend a serious look, "When do you expect me to move in?"

"How about the day before we tell my parents? I'll need an extra long cuddle after that, I can tell you!" Neville smiled and leaned over to kiss his Dudley.

 

* * *

 

"Alice Augusta Longbottom, get in here this instant! And don't you smirk, Harrison Frank Dursley. You're in just as much trouble for this!" Dudley bellowed out. It took several minutes, but a little girl, recently turned 5, slunk into the main room of the house. She looked at the younger boy, aged 3, who's hand was being held by their dad. Dudley lowered his voice as he addressed his daughter.

"How many times have I asked you two to not run around like animals in the house? You accidentally spilled the floo powder. For one thing, you could have activated the fireplace and connected to almost anywhere. I'd not have known where you are, and I can't very well call your Papa everyday and get him to come find you!" he said. He was very angry, but more upset about the prospect that either child might be lost. It must have shown on his face because both children looked down and mumbled out their apologies.

Harry looked up at him, with a face that somehow he had inherited from his namesake's mother, and asked, "Daddy? How come you can't come find us if we get lost outside the house? You always come find us in the garden." Harry's hair was blond, but had a strawberry cast to it, and it reminded him that he might still end up auburn by the time he went off to primary school.

"I've tried to explain properly before. I'm not a wizard, Harry. If you leave the house by magical means, I've got no way to find you. It scares the living daylights out of me to even think about it. My children lost somewhere in the world by themselves until I can get ahold of Papa or Cousin Harry," he said. Tears welled in his eyes and he bit them back with willpower. He sternly looked between them and said, "I can't stay mad at you. Just be careful with magical things, and think about consequences. Every rule your papa or I have is a rule that is meant to keep you safe or help you grow up into responsible adults. You have to obey so everybody is okay, alright?"

Both children immediately nodded and smiled now that Dudley was no longer angry. "Now give us a kiss and go play out in the garden, but walk there! No running in the house, remember?" He knelt down in front of both of the children. Alice walked forward, reminding him of a female version of pictures he'd seen of Neville as a child, round cheeked, a little heavy but not obese, and with golden blonde curls that made her adorable, and extremely hard to stay angry at. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, before smiling at him and stepping back.

Harry almost assaulted him by running into his arms and planted a kiss on his other cheek and hugged him tight. Alice then grabbed Harry's right hand and began to lead him through the house. Dudley slowly stood back up, and then looked at the mess of powder covering the carpeted floor beyond the fireplace tiles. He sighed and wondered if a portable hoover would ruin the magical nature of the powder or not, and sighed. He had been told to expect accidental magic, not accidents caused by kids to magical parts of the house.

Still, he didn't regret being a stay at home dad either. Someone had to watch them while Neville was at Hogwarts, and walking over to his day planner, he saw that his husband wasn't going to be free until lunch time, half an hour from now. Maybe he could scoop up enough powder to floo the main office and ask Neville to come home for lunch. Then he could help him clean this up properly. Dudley walked to the back, and opened the inner door so he could hear the children outside, then turned back to his next task at hand.

Having made up his mind he headed to the kitchen and started preparing toasted cheese sandwiches and soup. He had gotten so in the habit of removing bread crusts that he hadn't even stopped when he got to Neville's or his meals. Putting everything away to keep until right before cooking time, Dudley walked back to the fireplace, scooped up a handful of powder from the floor and threw it into the cold hearth while saying "Professor McGonagall's Office, Hogwarts". It erupted into green flames and he steeled himself and stuck his head inside.

"Professor McGonagall? Professor?" he asked. He coughed and got his bearings slightly. The no-nonsense headmaster was staring at what little of his frame appeared to her from the vantage point of her desk. "Yes, Mr. Longbottom?" she asked. Not for once did it stop nagging Dudley that in the wizarding world his surname meant nothing when they got married. They were so progressive in having formal homosexual marriage for centuries, and so damn traditional in that somebody had to play the part of the woman.

"Ah, yes, Headmistress. Can you please see to it that my husband comes home for lunch? I am having a bit of a domestic issue and I don't know the proper um... instructions for how to handle it. The problem only arose minutes ago, so sending a letter seemed... too slow to inform him?" he asked rhetorically.

Professor McGonagall looked him in the eyes and asked, "Is it a malfunctioning magic issue, or an accidental magic issue?"

"Um... the kids knocked over the floo powder jar, getting it everywhere in the carpet and I don't know if I can just use a hoover or what. This has never happened before, and I can't wait till tonight to clean up the mess. I know this seems frightfully trivial to someone such as yourself, but...," he rambled.

Professor McGonagall's eyes softened into a look of concern, "Mr. Longbottom, you most certainly can use a hoover to clean up the powder and not risk damaging its potency. And might I add, you are most likely going to have to sit down with your eldest child and remind her of the secrecy required of her soon. I'd start now. You can even make it a game. I'll remind Professor Longbottom of that, and I'll let him know he has a hot meal waiting for him at home."

"Um... yes, thank you, Professor. Um... sorry for taking up your time like this. Um... goodbye," he stammered out and pulled his head back out of the fireplace. He heard her say "Goodbye, Mr. Longbottom" as he began to extract himself. He quickly stepped back as the green flames guttered out to nothingness and he patted himself to clean up his hair and shoulders and to check for burns. Then he went off to find the Dyson.

By the time he had cleaned up the majority of the spilled powder, the fireplace turned green once again to disgorge his husband. Neville brushed soot off his shoulders and looking up smiled widely at Dudley. "So you called to ask me something you didn't know about being a house husband, eh?" he asked. Then looking around he said, "It looks like you took care of it very well, Duds." He walked over and kissed him hello.

"Well, I'm still new to all this stuff. I used to foreman a construction crew not look after tykes. Your boss looked at me with pity when she figured out I didn't know something basic like cleaning up floo powder," he said. He didn't let it cause a scene, but he leaned over and strongly embraced Neville.

The children came running back into the house and latched onto Neville's legs. "Papa's home! I told you I heard the fireplace!" Harry said.

Neville looked down, broke his embrace with Dudley and scooped Harry up into his arms. "Yes, I'm here because your daddy has made us all a tasty lunch. So let's go wash up and go sit at the table, hrm?" He kissed Harry's cheek and deposited him down. He knelt and let Alice kiss his cheek in greeting before scooting her off as well.

"Walk through the house please!" Dudley called after them, it already being too late to slow them down.

Neville wriggled out of his robes and hung them on the coat rack near the kitchen, installed specifically for this reason, before heading into the kitchen. "It smells good. I can't remember the last time I had toasted cheese and homemade soup," he said.

"Well the bread is homemade because I made it last night, but the soup's just from a bunch of tins, Nev," Dudley responded. "Your boss said we might want to try making it a game to teach Alice not to let muggles know about wizards since she's starting primary school this year. I hadn't thought about that," he said.

"She briefly mentioned it to me. She said it's very common in most homes with wizards living beside the muggle world like we do. I suppose she can't get far in primary school telling every kid that she has a fireplace that can take her anywhere in Britain," he said chuckling.

"I truly wished that mobile phones worked at that school," Dudley began again, right as the duo stormed back to the kitchen full steam and Dudley had to berate them again.

"Children! Stop running, please! Your meal is ready for you, you don't need to rush," he said.

Neville looked at him, and took a bite out of his sandwich, "You're a really good father, you know that?"

"Well I had to learn how to be, didn't I?" Dudley answered.

"So, about going to visit Harry and Ginny come Christmas, there's been a change." Neville asked.

"What change? Are they off on holiday overseas? I swear that cousin of mine gets the best perks, when he's allowed any vacation at all," he said.

Neville smirked and said, "Well, we're going over to the Burrows instead, to have Christmas with the Weasleys as well, instead of the Potters alone. It'll be like a reunion."

Dudley thought about it and sighed, thinking of all the pranks that were likely to get pulled on him by children and adults alike, and smiled, "Oh, is that all then?"

"Hannah and her family were invited as well," Neville remarked. At that the two children stopped munching and asked, with food still in their mouths. "Mum?" asked Harry, and "Mum's coming to Christmas?" asked Alice.

Neville nodded and said, "Nothing is confirmed, but she was invited."

Dudley smiled and pondered, "I wonder if she's every gotten that husband of hers to leave his Ministry desk long enough to help her clean up the back storage room? Maybe I should offer to go over and help out. The kids can come with. That way they'd get to see their mum whether she can make Christmas or not."

The little ones cheered that idea, and began excitedly talking about making new drawings to give to Hannah for their visit. Neville only smiled and nodded, "I'm certain she'd love the help. After all, a big strong man is the next best thing to a levitation spell, and much less dangerous if you lose concentration."

Dudley laughed boisterously, "Well, things are always happening at the Leaky!" He then turned to the children and said, "But you two will have to be on your best behavior, both before and during the visit." The two tikes straightened up immediately and began eating without speaking for a good four minutes.

Neville and Dudley both chuckled at that, and Dudley tucked into his own meal as Neville said, "You all make me so happy. I love you, Duds."

"Love you too, Nev, and Alice and Harry makes three," he said back. The children swallowed and chimed in unison with, "Love you, Papa! Daddy!"

 

FIN


End file.
